


Personal Leave

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Malec, Fluff, Gen, History Professor Magnus, History Professor Ragnor, Professor AU, brief mention of taxodermy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 12:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21015953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: When the students' favorite professor is replaced by one they hate, the rumors start to fly about what happened to Professor Bane.





	Personal Leave

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 

> **Week 13 Prompt:**
> 
> University AU: <strike>Battling for the best lecture hall / office space leads to all the feels</strike>

Of all the professors in the history department, people loved Professor Bane more than any other. He was beloved, from his flashy style to his understanding nature to his entertaining lectures. History seemed to come alive when he spoke, leaving them imagining he’d actually lived through the events he was teaching. 

The queer students knew he was someone safe to go to, that he (and his husband) always had an ear to listen and shoulder to cry on for any student in need. 

Everyone loved Bane so when they showed up for class to see a new professor in his place, the shock and outrage spread quickly through the whole school. Professor Rey was everything Bane was not. He was dull and self-centered. He also made the historical stories about him but where it was fun with Bane, the second-hand embarrassment they felt listening to Rey left most people skipping lectures rather than suffering through. 

“We want Professor Bane back!” they demanded after a week had gone on with Rey ruining every class. 

The professor just sneered at them. “Bane is gone indefinitely. I’m your professor. Deal with it.”

Rumors spread around the school as they were apt to do. They ranged from the commonplace (Bane was sick or on vacation) to the morbid (Rey killed and stuffed him like a taxidermied trophy) to the outrageous (he was actually immortal and had run off to start a new life with a new identity so people wouldn’t figure it out). But whatever it was, it meant that Bane wasn’t there and that was unacceptable.

“Where’s Professor Bane?” a few students asked his sister-in-law, Professor Lightwood in Biochemistry, who just smiled privately and said he would be back soon. 

“Is something wrong with Professor Bane?” they asked his best friend, Professor Loss in Nursing. She grinned and said it wasn’t her place to say. 

The stories spun faster and faster, eventually getting back to the head of the History Department, Professor Fell who put up a sign to try to stop the gossip.

_Professor Bane is on personal leave and will return when his business is completed. If you wish to know more, ask him when he gets back._

The day Professor Bane was back in class, relief permeated the room. “Did you miss me?”

The students told him stories of his horrid replacement, how much they hated Professor Rey. “Yes, Lorenzo inspires that type of emotion in a lot of people.”

Eventually, one student demanded, “So where _were_ you? No one would tell us anything.”

He pulled up a picture on his phone, showing it to the class who oohed and awwed appropriately. “Alexander and I were on paternal leave. Meet Maxwell Lightwood-Bane.” The baby was adorable, with pudgy cheeks and piercing blue eyes. And Professor Bane glowed with happiness, the entire class dedicated to him answering questions about his new son. 

To see their favorite professor so happy, the students decided it was worth a few weeks of Professor Rey.


End file.
